School furniture



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. J. M. S'AUDER. $011001. FURNITURE.

No. 451,776. Patented May 5,1891.

/NVENTO/? j- ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. M. SAUDER.

SCHOOL FURNITURE.

Patented May 5,1891.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SAUDER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

SCHOOL FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,776, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed May 20, 1890- Serial No. 352,468. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SAUDER, of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in School Furniture, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I

This invention relates to improvements 1n means to secure the desk-tops and the backs and seat-boards for school-desks and seats upon the supporting-standards of the same, and more particularly to a type of combined desk and seat, wherein the desk proper is attached to the supporting-standards of a chair which belongs to a preceding desk, said standards being formed of cast metal and the other portions of the combined desk and chair made of hard wood.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple means for an interlocking connection of the wooden desk-top, the back, and seatboard with the metal standards, whereby a secure attachment of parts is produced and a desired degree of elasticity afforded at the points of connection between the wood and metal, whereby incidental alterations at said points, due to expansion and contraction of the wooden material, will be compensated for and the liability to cramping strains, which would split the material or ashrinkage thereof that would cause an objectionable looseness at the joints, is obviated.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be madeto the accompanying drawings, forming a portion of this specification, in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation in section of a desk-top and attached chair cut through the transverse center of one of the supportingstandards. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of one of the supporting-standards, with the seat-back in transverse section taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a transverse broken section of a portion of one standard, which may represent its attachment to the desk-top on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1, or acrosssection of the seat-back on the line mo in the same figure. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of one standard and a portion of the seatback taken on the line 4. 4: in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a transverse section of the standard and a broken portion of the seat-back, taken on the line 5. 5 in Fig.2. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a portion of the seat-back on the same line as shown in Fig. 5, illustrating a modified form for the locking-pins employed to secure the lower edge of the seat-back piece to the standards; and Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the method of constructing the preferred form of seat-bottom board. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of that partof the arm or standard A shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the corresponding portion of the back.

Two standards A are employed to afford support to the desk-top B, and an integral chair in front of the desk comprised of a seatback 0 and a seat-bottornboard D. The metallic standards A have each a T-head rib projection formed integrally on the face, which receives and supports the desk-top and seat-back as well as the bottom board just named.

Inspection of Figs. 3, 4., and 5 will indicate the peculiar form of the rib or tongue that is comprised of a widened base a, which projects equally on each side of the standardbody A, the upper faces of said base-flanges being sloped or inclined from a central vertical web a outwardly and downwardly.

On the outer edge of the web a, as shown in Fig. 3, an integral capping-flange a is formed, which projects equally on each side of the web, and has its inner faces, which are opposite the sloping faces of the base a, inclined outwardly and upwardly, while the top surface of the capping-flange of the tongue is fiat and at right angles to the standard-body A.

There are grooves formed at proper points in the lower surface of the desk-top B, which will engage the tongues on the upper rearwardly-extended portions A of the standards A, said grooves each having their opposite flanges b tapered in cross-section as they approach each other, whereby these when engaged with theT-head of the tongues on the standards A will have a complete surfacebearing thereon. The lower faces of the flanges b, owing to theirinclination upwardly ICO and toward each other, will when in engagement with the tongues of the standards A have a surface-contact therewith only at or near the outer edges of the base-flanges a.

It will be evident that when the desk-top is forced upon the standard tongues in the manner explained the limited area of contact of the base-flanges a on the flanges b will permit an opening between these parts near the web a of the standard tongues, so that a certain amount of elastic yielding of the flanges b is permitted when the desk-top is fully driven into place from the outer ends of the standards toward the portion which receives the seat-back, which provision will compensate for expansion and contraction of .the wooden material due to atmospheric changes, and prevent rupture of the tongue-and-groove connections, while the rattling of joints is avoided by the same means. I

The connection of the seat-back O with the curved portion of the standards A is similar to that employed in securing the desk-top B in place, considered from the top edge e of the back to a point (Z, where the outward swell of the ogee curve of the back piece' joins the reversed curve provided to render the back comfortable to an occupant of the From (Z to point (1' the sides of the seat. capping-flanges a are removed and the free edges of the webs a rounded, as shown in Fig. 4, allowing said webs to project and have loose contact with the adjacent edges of the tapering flanges b on the seat-back, and from d tothe lower shoulder e on the curved and upwardly-inclined portions of the standards A the webs a are also removed, and at proper intervals there are two or more integral or secured upright pins f made to project from the face'of the standard, as shown in Fig. 2.

' The locking-pins fare preferably made with ovate heads f", which are slightly larger than the diameter of properly-spaced perforations made in the bottom of the grooves in the seatback, which perforations are inclined at a suitable angle from the surface they penetrate and adapted to receive the rounded ends of the pins fwhen the back 0 is driven downwardly on the tongues of the standards A and over the pins, which pins in entering the perforations of the seat-back bend the fiber of the wood upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2,

thereby producing a secure interlocking connection of the back with the standards, holdedges of the standards A, and when fully driven rearward toward the back piece 0 to have enforced engagement with the lockingpin i, a single pin on each standard being sufficientto retain the forward portion of the bottom board A in connection with said standards.

As shown in Fig. 7, the seat-curves are struck from the points 1 and 2. The greater radius, having the point 1 as a center, indicates the curvature of the main portion of the seat that extends from the point g toward the back of the chair, and, as will be seen, the point 1 also serves as a center from which the curved line 3 3 is drawn that determines the position and degree of inclination given to thelock: ing-pin 7', and also to the perforation in the seat-bottom board which engages said pin. In Fig. 1 is also illustrated in dotted lines the coacting construction and operation of the seat-back board and faces of the standards.

The portion of the seat-bottom board D (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7) represents the position of said board on the standards A as the board is being forced into position on the standards. The curved line 3 3 cutting through the perforation made for the pin delineates the line of approach of the socket perforation toward the pin i, which it engages when the seat-bottom board is fully driven upon the standards A.

There is a V-shaped tongue 77. transversely formed on the bottom board D at h, which tongue enters mating slots formed in the end portions of the standards A, and thereby limits the rearward projection of the bottom board.

The tongue h, together with the pins i and frictional contact of the flanges b in the seatgrooves, coact to hold the seat-bottom'board on the curved faces of the standards A and prevent rattle or fracture of the wooden seat whiere it engages the tongues of the stand- Etlt s.

In Fig. 6 the locking-pin m shown in position is made cylindrical in its body and has a series of spaced grooves formed therein which are shaped to produce concentric sharpedged flanges or ribs on the pin, whereby it is adapted to interlock with a perforation in the seat-back or desk-top in an obvious manner, and retain these parts in close contact with the standards A.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The combination, with a standard having along its face a rib or tongue composed of a widened base a, the upper faces of which are inclined down ward and outward from a central vertical Web a, and an integral capping-flange a projecting equally on each side of the web, with its inner faces inclined outward and upward and its top surface flat, of the wooden part having a dovetail groove to receive the web a and flange a, the flanges b 1) formed by said groove being inclined upward and inward at a greater angle than that of the upper faces of the base a, whereby an opening will be formed to permit the flanges to yield, substantially as set forth.

2. In school furniture, the standard A, having along its face a rib or tongue forthe seatback, consisting in the widened base a, the web a, the integral capping-flange (1 projecting at each side of the web and cut away between the points (1 and e, and theupward-inclined pins projecting from the web a where the capping-flange is removed and having rounded enlargements or heads, substantially as set forth.

3. In school furniture, the seat standard or arm A, having a rib or tongue curved to conform to the double curve of the seat, and consisting in the widened base a, the web a, the integral capping-flange a projecting at each side of the web and cut away from the point 9 outward, and the pin 1', projecting forward and upward from the web a in front of the point 9, substantially as set forth. 7

4. In school furniture, the seat standard or arm A, having arib ortonguecurvedto conform to the double curve of the seat, and consisting in the widened base a, the web a, the integral capping-flange a, projecting at each side of the web and cut away beyond the point g, the pin t', projecting forward and upward from the web a in front of the point 9, and the transverse slot or groove in the front end of the rib or tongue, substantially as set forth. 5. The combination, with seat-standards having the faces adapted to receive the seatboards formed with locking-tongues on the main curves thereof and having locking-pins projected from their faces on the lesser curves thereof on lines struck from the center of said main curves, of said seat-boards having locking-grooves in the main curved parts thereof and perforations made in their lesser curved parts on lines struck from the center of said main curves, substantially as set forth.

JOHN M. SAUDER.

Witnesses:

ALFRED ORENDORFF, JOHN McOREERY. 

